First Friday Gallery Openings

On the first Friday of the month throughout the year, Fredericksburg’s art galleries have receptions for their new exhibits. This is a great way to spend a Friday night, strolling from gallery to gallery, checking out the latest artwork, and socializing with the artsy crowd (and need I say it...free snacks?). My favorite art space is LibertyTown Arts Workshop, which has a main gallery area, and also houses about two dozen small artists’ studios in a shared space, similar to the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria (although on a much smaller scale). LibertyTown also provides art classes, and is a sometime venue for musicians.

Last night we saw a retrospective of Johnny Johnson, a local artist and teacher who has been painting for 45 years, and whose abstract style is probably the most recognizable of the Fredericksburg area artists. The exhibit was well attended, and covered his entire career, with artwork representing every phase of his artistic development, back to the 1960's.

Afterwards, we took a quick look at the new exhibit of Civil War era portraits by John Adams Elder at the Fredericksburg Area Museum. It was quick partly because we were heading to a football game (Riverbend at home vs. Massaponax...visiting Panthers crush home team Bears), and partly because we were woefully underdressed. Now that I, as a museum member, am an official patron of the arts, I should know that while the usual First Friday openings are casual affairs, museum members like to get "all gussied up," as my mother-in-law likes to say. Next time, I'll be dusting off the pearls.